by Danny Gatta
Over the past two seasons Tom Caputo and the Dowling Golden Lions have proved to be the toughest team to beat in the ECC in terms of winning percentage. They finished the 2015 season with a record of 27-17 and received an at-large bid to a NCAA regional.
Unfortunately, they ran into a 46-win buzz saw in Franklin Pierce at their home field which ended their season in the regionals.
Dowling is expected to have another solid year and be to compete for the ECC championship again.
The current team has a nice blend of youth and experience that provide versatility and depth moving forward. It will, however, be challenging to replace the production of the 10 seniors that departed–notably catcher Daniel Parisi, who batted .351 with 52 hits and 26 RBIs and was named to Baseball on the Island’s All-Long Island team.
“Our defense and our pitching has always been a strength for us,” said head coach Tom Caputo. He believes these two things will be key for the success of his team.
The rotation will be led by junior Cody McPartland. Last year, he made a name for himself by stepping into the ace role and pitching to a 2.29 over 39.1 IP. He struck out 41 against only 10 walks. He profiles very much along the lines of 2014 All-American Tyler Badamo–a hard-thrower that spots his pitches and can utilize a breaking ball in any count to get a quick out or record a crucial strikeout.
Sophomore pitcher Dennis Buckstein will be into moving in the rotation to bolster their pitching. The Sachem North grad was lights out in the bullpen last year, compiling a 2.21 ERA over 20.1 IP. Freshman Chris Cepeda, who was unable to pitch last season, will be another solid addition to the staff.
Cepeda is a skilled right-hander that had a tremendous career at Ward Melville. His signature moment was his complete game victory in the 2013 Long Island Championship over Massapequa. That took place at, none other than, Dowling’s home field.
He received some high praise from his head coach. “I look forward to watching him compete as I did when he was in high school. He’s a fun guy to watch. Even when he didn’t have his good stuff he would manage to beat a team 3-1 or 2-0.”
Dowling will take more of a small ball approach this year, especially in the beginning of the season when the weather is cold. Their lineup is not as long as in years past, but the guys in the middle of the lineup are capable of producing runs. Coach Caputo expects less strikeouts and a lot of stolen bases from his squad.
Some key returning players are expected to lead the offense. Junior Tyler Piccolo–another All-Long Island honoree– and Senior Michael Richter are experienced players who batted over .300 last year. Piccolo was third on the team with 25 RBIs, while Richter was sixth on the team in hits and RBIs, with 34 and 16, respectively.
Daniel Parisi is back working as an assistant coach, and has been helping his replacement Chris Russo, as he gets ready for the upcoming season. They get along well, and coach Caputo believes Parisi has taught Russo a lot in the short time they’ve been working together. “I think Chris is ready and will fit right in.”
To continue their recent success, coach Caputo just wants his guys to stay the course. “Know what the expectations are. We don’t talk about awards and accolades, we are focused on how you show up everyday.”
The Golden Lions will begin their season on March 5, at home, against the Southern Connecticut State University. Their first conference game will be April 1, at home, against Queens College.
